Special Drive: Volkswagen XL1 Concept by Henny Hemmes
+VIDEO

Volkswagen XL1

Volkswagen's commitment to electric mobility

By Henny Hemmes
Senior European Editor
The Auto Channel

Volkswagen XL1

LOS ANGELES - December 31, 2013: By concentrating on different forms of drive and flexible production,
the Volkswagen Group will be able to anticipate future developments in
sustainable mobility. The short test drive with the XL1 underlined the car
manufacturer’s commitment, contained in the
‘bumper-to-bumper’ strategy.

During the recent Los Angeles Auto Show, I was invited to drive a couple
of laps with the XL1 on the huge parking lot of Hollywood Park horse racing
track in Inglewood, just south of LA. The XL1 is the world’s most
fuel efficient car and showcases a futuristic aerodynamic design combined
with stunning fuel efficiency. In the European cycle, the sleek car has a
consumption of 260 mpg (US), with 21 g/km CO2, and a range of 31 miles in
all-electric mode. My drive was less intended as a test, but just to get
the feeling of the XL1’s drivability and to show technology that will
make its way into mass production in the near future.

Henny Hemmes slides into the
Volkswagen XL1

In 2002, when the Germans first introduced their so-called 1-liter car,
it was designed to travel 100 km (62 miles) on 1 liter of fuel (240 mpg
U.S.). Seven years later the concept car was changed and called L1, and two
years ago it became the XL1. Last summer, Volkswagen started to build a
limited series of 250 units to be sold in Europe at a price of about
$145,000.

After swinging the gull-wing door upwards and stepping inside, I was not
surprised by an unusual cabin. The dashboard of the XL looks quite simple,
more like what you would expect of a daily driver. With the exception of
the monitor on which the small cameras at both doors project what you would
usually see in rear view mirrors.

Watch Felix Baumgartner test 'fly' the XL1

The flat-bottom steering wheel makes in-and-out egress into the low car
easier and it looks sporty, too. The seating position is low, but I do not
mind that at all, while the two-seater offers ample leg room.

Cut-way of the Volkswagen XL1

When pushing the start button, you hear nothing, but the electric motor
brings the IP to life and after shifting the handle of the 7-speed double
clutch transmission into D, off we can go! First we drive a couple of laps
all-electric and steer the XL1 through the pylons that are set up for a
short slalom. The car is easy to handle and quite fun really. Then we push
it more, the 800 cc two-cylinder engine kicks in a with typical diesel
sound. But when warmed up, and thanks to a balance shaft, the halved 1.6
TDI engine runs smoothly in the back of the car. The XL1 feels light too.
No surprise, since its body is made of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced
plastic) and the weight of the car is only 1,750 pounds. Wind noise is
absent, thanks to the aerodynamics resulting in a low Cd-value of 0,19.
Even though the XL1 is built in a limited series, it indeed gives an
indication of what we can expect of the Volkswagen Group in the near
future.

The package of plans was also presented in Los Angeles during a
sustainability workshop, led by dr. Rudolf Krebs, VW Group’s
commissioner for electric drive systems.

Key aspects: the Group wants to be the leader in e-mobility in 2018 and
is planning to electrify models in all segments, up to some 40. In 2014,
the brands of the group will offer a total of 14 such models, from hybrid
electric, battery electric, or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to those
with very clean internal combustion engines, including CNG. Please stay
tuned for the report on Volkswagen’s ‘bumper-to-bumper’-
strategy.

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